Lifecycle Services

Our existing Data Centre Services portfolio covers those areas required to achieve a reliable, resilient and energy/cost efficient data centre throughout its entire Lifecycle. This includes all elements of infrastructure engineering from refitting or refurbishing a legacy data centre through to equipment refresh or replacement, infrastructure optimisation and recommissioning based on life cycle requirements. Future-tech are experts in project management and risk free installations in live operational environments with a clear focus on minimising any impact on ongoing service delivery. Future-tech engineers focus on maintaining service availability and uptime, reducing costs and increasing efficiencies throughout their comprehensive portfolio of Data Centre Operations, Engineering and Maintenance Services.

Maintenance

Our existing Data Centre Services portfolio covers all areas required to achieve reliable and energy / cost efficient maintenance and operations within a data centre. This includes all elements of infrastructure maintenance and engineering including the management of operating costs, energy management and infrastructure optimisation. Future-tech are experts in risk free maintenance and critical facilities management in live operational environments with a clear focus on minimising any impact on ongoing service delivery. Future-tech engineers focus on maintaining service availability and uptime, reducing costs and increasing efficiencies throughout their comprehensive portfolio of Data Centre Operations, Engineering and Maintenance Services.

New Build

Future-tech's New Build Data Centre Services covers design, build, equipment specification and procurement for any new data centre project. From greenfield data centre development to the conversion of existing buildings, and from micro to mega facilities, Future-tech are recognised as industry leaders in new data centre design and build.

Solutions

Professional Services

Our professional services portfolio covers the entire lifecycle of the data centre. From requirements and design through to audits, optimisation and client representation, our services are designed and carried out by our in-house specialist data centre experts.

Back-up & disaster recovery for Bradford Metropolitan District Council

Having completed the upgrade of their main Data Centre in Bradford City Centre, the City Council turned their attention to their back-up and disaster recovery requirements with only one company to look to, Future-tech.

THE BRIEF

Working with computer industry leaders IBM and Future-tech to construct the new facility, Bradford City Council needed a solution that would dissolve their problems and provide them with a secure and efficient facility. Some challenges and constraints were identified throughout the project but were overcome by the Future-tech solution.

CHALLENGES AND CONSTRAINTS

The council had a number of properties which could potentially house the new data centre and selected one on the outskirts of the city which met all the requirements in terms of geographical separation from the primary data centre, freedom from risk of flooding, access etc. There were however two potential issues with the proposed building: it was on an industrial estate in an area known for problems of vandalism and the power supply to the building was not adequate for the final day load.

THE FUTURE- TECH SOLUTION

Future-tech’s solution to the security concerns was to take all the equipment that would normally be sited externally, such as standby generator and air conditioning condenser units, and put this inside the building. This provided physical protection and also meant there was no indication externally that the facility was there. The building already had steel shutters in place and further security was provided by discreet CCTV monitoring. The answer to the power issue was to incorporate switchgear that would allow the incoming mains supply to be up-rated as and when required without having to shut down the room. The turn-key project, which has a capacity of 80 racks and 160kW IT load, included air conditioning, electrical services, generator, fire systems, and environmental monitoring systems including door access and CCTV. The contract also included site supervision, project management, design and engineering, health & safety, operations and maintenance manuals, testing and compliance certificates.

The use of a semi-prefabricated modular room resulted in a very fast build which also allows for future expansion beyond the original brief of 80 racks. This could prove financially attractive as it would enable the Council to offer data centre space to other organisations. Due to everything being internal there were no planning issues and the Council’s concerns about security were addressed. As an unexpected bonus, housing the condenser units internally means heat can be recovered in winter to heat this and the adjacent warehouse unit, also owned by the Council.